When my daughter Natalie was first diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis, I wasn’t just about to sit back and “observe”. As I talk about in this web series about treating scoliosis, we researched into alternative treatment methods for scoliosis, and one of the most promising ones was the CLEAR Institute. The CLEAR Institute takes a radically different approach to treating scoliosis than what mainstream doctors recommend. Here I will share our experience with the CLEAR Institute so you can decide whether it is right for you.

What Is the CLEAR Institute?

The Clear Institute is a nonprofit organization which has a certification program for doctors and chiropractors. They have developed their own method and protocols of treating scoliosis. CLEAR certified doctors follow the CLEAR methods, and are required to go to regular training and educational sessions to keep their certification.

I’ll let you visit the CLEAR Institute website to read their official “about” and info. But, in summary, what really makes CLEAR Institute unique is that they don’t advocate back bracing (which is still pretty much the only treatment used for scoliosis by mainstream doctors).

CLEAR doctors don’t use back braces in their program because they believe that bracing will weaken the same back muscles which they are trying to strengthen. However, the CLEAR Institute is quick to say that they aren’t against bracing (though they certainly don’t recommend it!). On their website, they say this about back bracing:

“On the other side of the coin, however, we readily concede that our specialty is not in orthotics, but in spinal biomechanics & postural rehabilitation. It is for this reason that, while we do not advocate bracing, we also do not condemn it.”

The CLEAR Institute Protocols: Mix-Fix-Set

CLEAR Institute doctors use protocols which are based on the principles of “Mix-Fix-Set.” Here is an overview of the protocols and what these principles mean for scoliosis treatment.

1. Precision X-Rays

The CLEAR doctors will take x-rays of the entire spine, not just the scoliosis. The idea is that the entire back is connected and that they need to understand the entire biomechanical function of the spine in order to correct it.

2. MIX

The idea here is to warm up the spine before treatment. Devices like the Active Rehabilitation Chair, Cervical Traction, and Vibrating Traction are used. One doctor describes the Mix component as “designed to induce cyclical motion and low frequency vibration into the ligamentous structures of the spine. By first unlocking the curvature of the spine through mixing, it allows the doctor a better opportunity for the specific adjusting protocols to take effect.”

3. FIX

This part of the scoliosis treatment uses instruments to assist in chiropracty. The doctor will put the loosened spinal structures into alignment.

4. SET

Immediately after the Fix step, the adjusted spine must be set in place. To do this, the CLEAR doctor will often use weights on the head and hips. There are also other methods, such as special chairs and “gait therapy” which retrains how the patient walks, and home exercises.

5. Follow Up

Now more x-rays are taken to see how effective the realignment was.

Our Experience with CLEAR Institute

When we went to CLEAR Institute, Natalie’s scoliosis had already progressed to 46 degrees. There weren’t any CLEAR doctors in our area, and the treatments aren’t exactly cheap, so it was a big decision whether to try this protocol or not. We ended up finding a CLEAR doctor in Wisconsin, Dr. Dovorany, which seemed promising. We traveled there and did a 2-week bootcamp. I was working full time at the time and my boss was super understanding and let me work remotely for those couple of weeks.

During those 2 weeks, we went to the clinic every day for several hours, walking back to the hotel for lunch and again for several hours in the afternoon. Most of the time Natalie was actively doing exercises with short breaks in between, more (unavoidable) x-rays than I can count and plenty of chatting with the doc about next steps.

Some of the exercises we had Natalie doing were downright strange but we went with it.

This exercise (pictured below) required Natalie to stand on this Bosu ball over a vibrating plate with a custom “cantilever” Dr. Dovorany made for her from pvc pipe among other things with a weight and resist the weight for a certain period of time.

We were sent home with this cantilever and Natalie was told to do a minimum of 3 exercises per day for 3 months. At one point she was doing 5 per day which was the max they recommended she do.

Sidenote: this is one surefire way to get abs of STELL by the way 😉

Another exercise… A tough one to explain. I won’t attempt it.

And several other exercises not pictured…

Does It Work?

After the bootcamp and with the 3 months of 5x/day exercises, Natalie’s curve decreased from 47 degrees to 34 degrees in 3 months.

At that point we were ecstatic… hopeful… relieved. And majorly crossing fingers that surgery was avoidable.

Here is the problem: After that, Natalie went to Argentina to her grandmother’s house for 3 months (I’m originally from Argentina). They both promised she would do her exercises, but it turns out that she was only doing them 1 time per day – and my guess is she was only doing it occasionally. When we arrived there to pick her up we instantly saw the progression in her curve. By the time we had her x-rayed and measured it had progressed to 53 degrees!

As with anything, a program can’t work unless you do. So it is hard to tell whether the CLEAR exercises would have worked for her in the long run. I’ve seen the success that Dr. Dovorany has had with his patients, many of whom I spoke with before deciding to give it a go, and many more which I bonded with over long hours co-working in the waiting room of the doc’s office during those couple of weeks.

My biggest regret is not keeping Natalie home that summer so that we could act as her accountability to get the exercises done.

Natalie ultimately had to have scoliosis surgery (which I’m happy to say she recovered from beautifully) but that was what we were hoping to avoid. (post on scoliosis surgery coming soon- stay tuned).

Would I Recommend CLEAR Institute?

If you’re thinking about Clear Institute, would I recommend it? I think it’s definitely worth a shot to avoid surgery if at all possible. Ideally, don’t wait as long as we did. The smaller the curve the easier to reverse and/or prevent progressions.

That said, know that it is certainly not inexpensive, requires you to go to a Boot Camp for a few weeks, and you will also probably have to travel for it. Summers are their busiest times since kids are off school. If you’re going to give it a shot, do it sooner rather than later, and stay in the room to make sure your child or teen follows through.

Have you tried the Clear Institute for Scoliosis? What was your experience? Please comment below.

Sylvie McCracken is a former celebrity assistant in Hollywood turned full time entrepreneur currently living in Ashland, Oregon with her husband and 3 kids. She writes about treating and preventing health conditions with real food and natural remedies, as well as anything else she feels like writing about because she's a rebel like that. 😉 She also mentors entrepreneurs on her other site, SylvieMcCracken.com

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16 Comments

Dr. Tom PappasFeb 27, 2018 @ 14:24:54

Unfortunately, these methods do not work for idiopathic scoliosis in skeletally premature adolescents. The procedures do not address that fact that scoliosis worsens with skeletal growth. A 2 week boot camp does nothing for anyone who still has skeletal growth ahead. However, they will be glad to tell you that it was your fault for not doing the exercises enough or correctly, when the curve really progressed for 2 reasons: 1. Your daughter grew. 2. The last x-ray they took was immediately after the last treatment which will always show a decrease in the curve degree, as they display these images on their website. Wait a week or two, then take the post x-ray and the results will be significantly different.

I’m wondering if this place is good for people who are experiencing pain issues after having the fusion surgery? I had the surgery about 20 years ago and tried to avoid the surgery by trying chiropractic care. My story is similar to what both you Sylvie and what Dr. Pappas was saying that while I tried chiropractic care for months before surgery the degrees of the curvature did reduce some but I was young at the time and didn’t keep up well with the exercises daily so the curvature increased. But when I went back to my doctor at the time he too was told that the growth spurts that I was having contributed to the increase of the spine and no amount of exercises would have stopped that. So my spine was 55 degrees in mid to 42 at bottom and I had the middle fused. Since I didn’t have a very good experience with chiropractic care I’m reluctant to go that route again. So I was looking at this place as a possible option to help. Either way I am glad I came across your blog because it’s not everyday that you meet someone who has scoliosis or has a family member who has had it and had the surgery. Seems like there aren’t that many forums or groups for those who are currently seeking treatment for it or have had the surgery, especially to hear about new treatments and methods.

Hi Ms Delta.I came across work of Dr John Bergman Chiropractor from California .He does wonders if it comes to bone structure fix he doesn’t do surgery as I recall. Please check him out.Im planing to visit him next year because my son has hiphosys.

I found this on Pinterest and want to say thank you for the honest look. My daughter was diagnosed last spring with a 51 degree curve. I have been very curious about these type of bootcamps as they almost seem too good to be true. Any webpage I read they have tons of testimonies and only anecdotal statistics.

Thank you so much for posting about yours and your daughters experience. I am 35 and just started going through the exact same treatments your daughter did. My local chiropractor follows Dr. Dovorany. In six weeks, I have gone from a 36 degree curve to a 22, which is great, but I just discovered my 8 year old son has an 18 degree curve. My Dr. is trying to talk me into going to Wisconsin and doing the boot camp for him and also getting the activity suit, but she could not really answer my question about longevity of the treatment. I am waiting to get a second opinion from an orthopedist before I make any decisions regarding his treatment.

There are inherent problems with the program and while you saw results, you also saw that without continuing the exercises, this progress was not maintained. So the treatment basically forced the body into a position, thus “correcting” the problem. I would suggest something more along the lines of craniosacral work, which will absolutely correct the scoliosis, actually what is out of balance that is causing the curvature we call scoliosis. You need someone VERY experienced, not just someone who knows basic craniosacral. My husband is well trained in CST and uses it as part of his treating patients (www.traditionaljewishmedicine.org). I know CST professionals in Israel and here in the US, if I can be of assistance.

Please don’t take me wrong. I respect those who admit they no longer can help. What I disrespect is the time it took him and how it was done. I just wanted you to know maybe even if your daughter had done it. There is a good chance it wouldn’t of worked. From a mom to a mom… I look back and regret giving him so much time with her… Now, we go forward… No more looking back.. 🙂 Kristi

Who are you referring to when you say “he”? I’m not blaming my daughter, Kristina. I’m simply being honest that she didn’t follow the plan as laid out by Dr. Dovorany so it wouldn’t be fair to say “it didn’t work” since we didn’t really give it the full shot, you know?

Definitely agree you need to be careful who you trust. 🙂 Wishing you and your daughter the best. – Sylvie

Please don’t blame your daughter or grandmother. My daughter did everything they asked her to do. After 6 yrs was told he did everything he could. Her curve now is in the 80’s. My daughter choices not to have surgery so we are checking out different avenues. What so sad after 6 yrs of my daughter giving 110% and him being so cold. He gave us no advise or anything. Please be very careful who you trust!

Who are you referring to when you say “he”? I’m not blaming my daughter, Kristina. I’m simply being honest that she didn’t follow the plan as laid out by Dr. Dovorany so it wouldn’t be fair to say “it didn’t work” since we didn’t really give it the full shot, you know?

Definitely agree you need to be careful who you trust. 🙂 Wishing you and your daughter the best. – Sylvie

Please don’t take me wrong. I respect those who admit they no longer can help. What I disrespect is the time it took him and how it was done. I just wanted you to know maybe even if your daughter had done it. There is a good chance it wouldn’t of worked. From a mom to a mom… I look back and regret giving him so much time with her… Now, we go forward… No more looking back.. 🙂 Kristi

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